Max Blanc

the blancs 🤍

I’m so grateful to have documentary filmmaker Sebastian Solberg on my Youtube channel to talk about something every filmmaker (or creative) struggles with: failure. The very idea of failure can cause anxiety, self-doubt, and creative paralysis, and I’ve certainly felt all of it. I first came across Sebastian’s blog post “Why Filmmakers Struggle with Failure (and How to Keep Going)” and found it incredibly honest and helpful. It inspired me to reach out and have an open conversation about what failure means and how we can move through it. This interview is part of a new series I’m working on for my channel called “Before Your Breakthrough: Stories to Keep You Creating.” It’s made for anyone going through a tough season creatively - I hope it helps you feel less alone and reminds you to keep going.  ABOUT SEBASTIAN SOLBERG
Sebastian (@sebsolberg )is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work includes One Breath: A Life Without Gravity and the BAFTA-nominated The Eagle Huntress. He also founded the Documentary Film Academy (@documentaryfilmacademy ), an online platform empowering the next generation of filmmakers. Link to the full conversation in bio! #filmmakinglife #documentaryfilmmaker #indiefilmmaker #doclife #filmmakerinterview #failure #creativeprocess #filmmakingcommunity #filmmakersofinstagram #youtubeinterview #filmmakertalks #creativeconversations #conversationsthatmatter #inspirationdaily #creativeinspo #motivationmonday #creativejourney #documentaryfilmmaking #filmmakingpodcast #filmpodcast

It’s been such a joy working on this project from the beginning. So so proud of @itsdannyrivera for his wonderful directorial debut “Sweetbriar” and the fact that it not only screened at SXSW this year but it also won the audience award for the Texas Shorts slot!! Thank you for trusting me to edit this piece and a huge congratulations to the rest of the amazing team! It was such a joy to work with you all and going to the festival with all of you was a dream! Writer & Director: Danny Rivera Executive Producers: Laura Christman, Christine Rothacker, Dan DeNicola Producer: MK Goss Cinematographer: Scott Larson Sound Designer: Graham Gold Editor: Maximilien Blanc Music: Iran Garcia Principal cast: Violeta Salazar, Danny Rivera Assistant Director: Alfredo Armenta Onate Boom operator & PA: Brooke Harrison Gaffer: Ryan Shu

Today’s Podcast: Actors Mary Frances Noser & Maximilien Blanc (STUCK) STUCK, 13min., USA Directed by Emma Grace Lukens A couple’s ambiguous relationship becomes slightly more clear as they lie on their living room floor, discussing their dating lives. Hannah Ehman chats with the two leads of the award winning short film STUCK #wildsound #actors #actorspodcast

🌟 Thrilling News from Idyllwild Film Festival! 🎬✨ We are beyond honored to announce that The Twilight Café has received 8 nominations at the prestigious Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema! 🏆🌲 Set in the breathtaking town of Idyllwild, CA, this festival is renowned for celebrating independent cinema amidst a backdrop of towering pines, rugged mountains, and a thriving artistic community. Often called the “Sundance of Southern California,” Idyllwild has long been a haven for creatives, drawing filmmakers, musicians, and artists alike to its inspiring landscapes and legendary film culture. ✨ Our 8 Nominations for The Twilight Café ✨ 🎭 Best Actor - Short Film | Maximilien Blanc 🎭 Best Actress - Short Film | Jennifer Bonner 🎬 Best Director - Short Film | Michael Brant DeMaria 📝 John Milius Award - Best Screenplay (Short Film) | Michael Brant DeMaria 📽️ Juan Ruiz Anchia Award - Best Cinematography (Short Film) | Chris Jadallah 🎶 Roger Taylor Award - Best Original Score (Short Film) | Michael Brant DeMaria 🎞️ Best Short Film 🔊 Best Sound Design - Short Film | Michael Brant DeMaria This recognition is a true testament to the passion, dedication, and artistry that went into bringing The Twilight Café to life. A huge thank you to the Idyllwild Film Festival and to everyone who has supported this journey. We are so grateful! Stay tuned for more updates as we head to this incredible festival! 🎥💫 #IdyllwildFilmFestival #TheTwilightCafe #IndieFilm #FilmFestival #AwardNominations #Filmmaking #Cinematography #ShortFilm #SoundDesign #FilmScore #Storytelling #DirectorLife #IndieCinema #ArtsCommunity #MountainsAndMovies

🎥✨ Just returned from the Show Low Film Festival in the stunning White Mountains of Arizona, and what a journey it was! The theme this year, “Telling Our Stories Helps Heal Others,” struck a chord with me, aligning perfectly with the heart of our work on The Twilight Café. 🌟 Our short film block was an emotional and spiritual experience, featuring works that shone a light on mental health, overcoming despair, and personal/spiritual growth. The connections we made with fellow filmmakers were priceless, and the workshops, pitch sessions, and events exceeded all our expectations. A huge thank you to the incredible organizers, Martina and Dalea, for curating such a transformative festival! 🙏💫 🎬 And here’s the big news: We were beyond honored to have taken home first place among 100 films scored by 17 judges across ten categories— from writing, directing, acting, sound design/film music, and cinematography—you name it! With a score of 8.7/10, we were in a three-way tie for first! Still pinching ourselves!🏆 Swipe to check out some special moments from awards night and stay tuned for more exciting updates as in the next month alone The Twilight Café will be premiering in Orlando, Atlanta, England, South Africa, LA and Fairhope, AL! Check out the link in my bio, or go to The Twilight Café.com and scroll to the bottom to see our schedule of past and upcoming festivals. ✨ #ShowLowFilmFestival #TheTwilightCafé #FilmFestivalJourney #StorytellingHeals #FirstPlaceWinner #MentalHealthInFilm #SpiritualCinema #FilmmakingCommunity #ArizonaFilm #WhiteMountainsAZ

𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑴𝑰𝑬𝑹 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 𝑪𝑨𝑭𝑬’ This Saturday! The World Premiere of The Twilight Cafe’ will take place on Saturday, September 28th at the 27th annual @firstglancefilmfests in Philadelphia, PA! This film has been many years in the making, and we can’t wait to finally share it with you all. Philly friends, family, and peers ~ we can’t wait to share this experience with you. Our world premier, our first big nominations for @jadallahholla and @maxblanc ~ it’s going to be a weekend for the record books. See you this weekend at @firstglancefilmfests ! 🖤🌀 #shortfilm #filmmaker #firstglancefilmfestival #philly

Today we are celebrating a short film we had the pleasure of working on with @drmichaeldemaria , The Twilight Café with @ontosfilms . The Twilight Café is beginning its festival run! And is having its world premiere at the @firstglancefilmfests in Philadelphia. We also want to celebrate our very own @jadallahholla who was nominated for Best Cinematography at the film Festival out of the over 100 films submitted. And @maxblanc was nominated for best actor. Certainly an exciting way to start this festival run! We feel very lucky to have the opportunity and privilege to work on diverse projects from short films to commercials. They both make us better at what we do and bring fulfillment to the work we produce. Thank you to the wonderful people that trust us with your vision!

Sharing more behind-the-scenes moments from the making of The Twilight Café with the incredible French-American actor, Max Blanc. Max and I truly connected, and he’s become a cherished friend. Not only is he a passionate and talented actor, but he’s also a skilled editor. Our two-month national casting call led us to this amazing young man from LA. In a world where the false image of the ‘Alpha Male’ prevails, one of my deepest passions and visions is to tell stories featuring male characters with true heart—what I call a ‘Heart Warrior.’ While there are moments to be tough, it’s essential to also be tender. Without tenderness, we risk contributing to the chaos instead of healing and evolving towards a more compassionate and wise world. We believe in our hearts that a better world is possible. As the saying goes, never give a man a weapon until he has learned to cry and to dance. Thank you, Max, for bringing such heart to The Twilight Café! Head to the link in my bio to learn more about The Twilight Cafe’ and be sure to give @ontosfilms a follow to stay up to date on all my film projects! Check out The Twilight Cafe’ website on the link in my bio. Music The Way Beyond from my album Bindu - check out link in the bio. #filmmaker #twilight #thetwilightcafe #behindthescenes #heart #heartwarrior #thewayoftwilight

oui 💍✨ 11.11.23

Super excited to announce that our first @peoplewatchingproductions sketch “Who’s Talkin’ About Alice” has been officially selected for the LA Shorts International Film Festival! As a celebration, here’s another behind-the-scenes VFX breakdown from the film. It was so fun superimposing our wonderfully talented @_jacquelinebell_ into The Deer Hunter! #sketchcomedy #peoplewatching #vfxgreenscreen #vfx #deerhunter #comedy #lashortsinternationalfilmfestival #visualeffects #movieparody #sketch #funnymovie #thedeerhunter #thedeerhuntermovie #christopherwalken

Quick glimpse into the VFX process of the @peoplewatchingproductions short film “Who’s Talkin’ About Alice” which is currently in festival consideration. It was such a blast creating these effects, and huge thank you to the entire cast and crew! #vfx #shortfilmvfx #sketch #sketchcomedy #peoplewatching #comedyvfx #greenscreen #aftereffects #comedy